Striker Lee Hughes grabbed his 25th goal of the season to bank maximum points for West Brom after Vale twice battled their way back into the game.

Albion took the lead after only five minutes with a goal from Shaun Murphy but that was cancelled out by a 50th-minute strike from Vale hitman Tony Naylor - his 50th for the club.

Mario Bortolazzi restored Albion's lead in the 54th minute but Naylor was on the mark again just two minutes later before Hughes secured victory for Albion with a well-taken penalty in the 75th minute.

Murphy found the target following a corner from Enzo Maresca after his header rebounded off the vale crossbar and went into the net of his body.

It was 1-1 just five minutes into the second half when a shot from Martin Foyle was parried out to Naylor who made no mistake with a low, hard angled drive.

But Albion restored the lead just four minutes later when Italian midfielder Bortolazzi grabbed his first goal for the club with a 30-yard shot direct from a free-kick.

Albion were still celebrating the superb strike when Naylor made it 2-2 as he took full advantage of an inch-perfect cross from Allen Tankard.

Then in the 75th minute Albion were awarded a penalty when Vale defender Dave Barnett blatantly pulled down Albion's Graham Potter.

Hughes took the resulting spot-kick and he gave keeper Kevin Pilkington no possible chance with his well-placed shot.

Teams

West Brom: Whitehead, Holmes, Potter, Bortolazzi, Murphy, Carbon, Maresca, Sneekes, Quinn (De Freitas 90), Hughes, Kilbane.

Subs Not Used: Angel, Mardon.

Goals: Murphy 5, Bortolazzi 54, Hughes 75 pen.

Port Vale: Pilkington, Walsh, Tankard, Bogie, Barnett (Beadle 78), Aspin, Lyttle, Talbot (McGlinchey 39), Foyle, Naylor, O'Callaghan (McQuade 83).

Booked: Bogie, Barnett, Aspin.

Goals: Naylor 50, 56.

Att: 14,929 Ref: K Lynch (Kirk Hammerton).